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SMW-AUTOBLOK Corporation

Manufacturer

Component Supplier

Global workholding manufacturer founded 1942; makes power chucks, steady rests, and robot grippers for CNC turning and automation across 70+ countries.

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Company Overview

SMW-AUTOBLOK is one of the world's leading manufacturers of workholding systems for CNC machine tools and robot end-of-arm tooling. The group traces its origins to Autoblok S.p.A., founded in 1942 in Turin, Italy by Domenico Bronzino, which began producing chucks in 1946; and to SMW, founded in 1967 in Meckenbeuren, Germany. The merged entity, SMW-AUTOBLOK Spannsysteme GmbH, was established in 1993 and has since grown to more than 1,000 employees with a presence in over 70 countries. The US subsidiary, SMW-AUTOBLOK Corporation, is headquartered at 285 Egidi Drive, Wheeling, Illinois.

The company's product portfolio spans the full range of precision workholding for turning, grinding, and milling. Power chucks include the KNCS-2G quick jaw change chuck (the world's best-selling sealed chuck design with over 35 years of production), the APL-RR and NTL-RR high-precision quick jaw change chucks, the IEP-D 6-jaw chuck for thin-walled components, the SJL-C 6-jaw chuck for deformation-prone workpieces, the CENTCO4 4-jaw compensating chuck, and the MM e-motion mechatronic chuck with integrated sensor feedback and programmable jaw movement. The CCS (Chuck Changing System) can be retrofitted to any CNC lathe for fast chuck swaps without spindle removal.

Steady rests include the SR self-centering premium line, the RX extra-compact model with a large clamping range, the SRG for grinding applications, and the SLX digit hydraulic long-stroke steady rest with integrated safety valves. The USP 4.0 250 is an ultrasonic distance measuring system for steady rest positioning.

For automation and robot integration, SMW-AUTOBLOK offers the MOTIACT mechatronic gripper series (MX-S, MX-M) with integrated sensors for machine tending, material handling, and assembly; the 2PXS/2PXM/2PXL universal 2-finger grippers for OD and ID clamping; the 3PX 3-finger centric gripper; and the PRS Tool Changer system compatible with pneumatic grippers and the C40 inductive coupler. The AcuGrip-TC provides a quick-change gripper interface for collaborative and industrial robots.

SMW-electronics GmbH, a related subsidiary based in Meckenbeuren, Germany, supplies inductive coupling systems for contactless energy and signal transfer on rotating machinery, inductive position measurement systems (IPS), RFID systems, and ultrasonic proximity sensors.

Key markets served include automotive, aerospace, oil country tubular goods (OCTG), industrial equipment, off-highway/agriculture machinery, and automation/robotics system integrators. The US entity holds ISO 9001 certification. The company describes itself as 'the most innovative workholding company' and actively participates in international trade shows including IMTS and EMO.